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The House Elections Committee will hold a hearing today at 3:30 p.m. on HCR 5021, a proposal that would add voter ID requirements to the Kansas Constitution. Supporters say putting voter ID in the Constitution would make the rule harder to change in the future. Right now, the requirement to show photo ID when voting is part of state law, which could be repealed or challenged in court.

“Why do we need voter ID in the Constitution as opposed to just state law? I think this is an 80-20 issue,” said Rep. Pat Proctor. “I think most common-sense Kansans believe that you should have to prove you are who you say you are before you vote, before you wield political power. We’ve been a voter ID state since 2012, but there’s no guarantee that some future legislature wouldn’t repeal that law or some future Supreme Court might find it unconstitutional. If you put it in the Constitution, it’s much harder to repeal, and there’s no way to find it unconstitutional because it actually is in the Constitution.”

Rep. Proctor said verifying a voter’s identity is a basic step to protect elections. He said Kansas already has voter ID laws, but adding them to the Constitution would prevent future lawmakers or courts from weakening those rules.

Proctor said photo ID is already required for many everyday activities, such as flying or receiving healthcare, and believes the same standard should apply to voting. He added the amendment is part of broader efforts to strengthen election security, including banning foreign money in constitutional campaigns and private funding of election offices.

Proctor said the committee is expected to vote on HCR 5021 within the next week.